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Batman (1989 film)
As a child, billionaire Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton) saw his parents murdered by a mugger. He vows to avenge their deaths in a lifelong battle against crime as the costumed vigilante Batman while concealing his secret identity behind his playboy image. By the time he begins his career as Gotham City's protector, the city is controlled by crime boss Carl Grissom (Jack Palance). Despite the best efforts of newly-elected district attorney Harvey Dent (Billy Dee Williams) and police commissioner James Gordon (Pat Hingle), the police department remains corrupt. Reporter Alexander Knox (Robert Wuhl) and photo-journalist Vicki Vale (Kim Basinger) begin investigating the rumors of a shadowy crimefighter dressed as a bat terrorizing Gotham's criminals by night. Vicki and Knox attend a benefit at Wayne Manor, where Bruce is taken by Vicki's charms. That same night, Grissom's second in command, Jack Napier (Jack Nicholson), is sent to raid the Axis Chemicals factory. After the police receive a tip-off and arrive to arrest him, Napier realizes he has been set up by his boss, angered by his affair with Grissom's mistress. In the midst of the shoot-out, Batman arrives and takes out Napier's henchmen. Napier fires at Batman, who deflects the bullet off his steel gauntlet and sends it ricocheting back into Napier's face. Reeling from the pain, Napier topples over a platform rail but manages to grab a lower rail with one hand. Batman tries to pull Napier to safety, but loses his grip, and the criminal falls into a large vat of chemicals. Shortly thereafter, he emerges from an adjacent reservoir, his skin bleached white, his hair dyed green and his lips dyed red. Following a botched attempt at plastic surgery, Napier is left with a permanent rictus grin, giving him the appearance of a clown. Driven insane by his reflection, he fashions himself as "the Joker", kills Grissom and takes over his empire. The Joker holds the city at his mercy by chemically altering everyday hygiene products, causing those using a certain combination of products to laugh to death — leaving them with a post-mortem grin resembling his own. Batman attempts to track down the Joker, who has become obsessed with Vicki, and soon realizes that his foe is the very mugger who murdered his parents. Meanwhile, Bruce's butler and confidante Alfred Pennyworth (Michael Gough) lets Vicki into the Batcave, and she and Bruce promise they will try to work out their feelings for each other once the Joker is defeated. Batman destroys the factory the Joker used to make the poisoned products. The Joker retaliates by holding a parade through Gotham, luring its citizens on to its streets by dispensing money, intending to kill them with lethal gas. Batman foils his plan, but the Joker kidnaps Vicki and takes her to the top of a cathedral church. Batman fights the Joker to save Vicki, and both realize that they are indirectly responsible for each other's transformations. As the Joker is about to escape, Batman ties his leg to a gargoyle with a grappling hook; the Joker falls to his death when the statue breaks loose of its moorings. Commissioner Gordon unveils the Bat-Signal along with a note from Batman read by Harvey Dent, promising to defend Gotham whenever crime strikes again.